17. Audio Playback

However, for multi-media applications, visuals cover only half of the basic requirements. A meaningful audiovisual experience also demands good sound as well. For audio playback the dv8000z features a pair of built-in Altec Lansing loudspeakers.

The stereo speakers use the cavity of the hard disk bays to deliver richer sound.

The volume that this pair of diminutive speakers can deliver is adequate. High- and mid-range sounds are reproduced with exceptional clarity. On the low end of the sound spectrum, however, something is definitely missing. Despite the good overall sound quality of these Altec Lansing speakers, HP should try to find some way to bundle a small subwoofer in the next model in this notebook series.

An audio codec from Conexant handles sound delivery for this notebook, which can also deliver 7.1 multi-channel audio through the headphone jack; optical output requires a special adapter for digital SPDIF delivery.

Those for whom the built-in stereo speakers don't cut it audio-wise can use the optical digital audio output from the headphone jack to connect to a multi-channel sound system.